1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for identifying connected devices that controls current flowing in a path where a connected device is connected to an electronic device, monitors a time point when the voltage is changed, and determines a type of connected device, based on the time point when the voltage is changed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Previously, electronic devices, i.e., portable electronic devices, only provided a voice call service. As technology has progressed, electronic terminals, which can be easily carried and store a variety of programs, have advanced to provide additional features so that they can be widely used in various fields. Accordingly, the number of users and service subscribers of mobile communication terminals, which now provide advanced features in addition to a voice call service, has rapidly increased.
Conventional electronic devices are large and heavy in order to stabilize a battery and other electronic parts. In recent years, as electronic parts and batteries have become more advanced, these electronic devices have been reduced in size, weight and thickness.
Electronic devices have a 24-pin connector that is connected to a cable for supporting a recharging mode and a communication mode. In the recharging mode, a battery is recharged and in the communication mode, data is communicated by the device. The 24-pin connector is configured to meet a corresponding use. The 24-pin connecter arranges its pins according to preset functions of the electronic devices, such as recharging mode and communication mode, so that it can be used in two modes. As electronic devices have recently become smaller and slimmer, connectors have also been reduced in both size and number of pins. In other words, electronic devices need to reduce the number of pins in the connector in order to reduce their size. Therefore, the electronic devices must support a variety of modes using the same number of pins as the connector. For example, when the connector is configured to have 4 pins, it must be used for the electronic devices in order to support the recharging mode for battery recharging and the communication mode for data communication. However, the current flowing between an electronic device and a re-charger during the recharging mode is different from a current flowing between the electronic device and a terminal during the communication mode. Therefore, the conventional electronic device must detect which type of device, such as a communication terminal or a re-charger, is connected to the connector.